GeoTech Skills Certificate

Geospacial Technology Skills Certificate is a framework to acquire, store, manage, analyze, and visualize spatial data. Traditional paper maps are able to display just one view of data, at one point in time.

Introduction

Are you…

a student who wishes to acquire technical and topical knowledge to support your major or professional field?

a student who wishes to acquire specialized training to meet current (or future) job requirements calling for GIS knowledge?

spending hours looking at maps and Google Earth to better understand the world you live in?

Essentially, GIS is a framework to acquire, store, manage, analyze, and visualize spatial data. Traditional paper maps are able to display just one view of data, at one point in time. Using GIS allows the display of information in various space and time. GIS provides a suite of tools used to support many kinds of decision-making and statistical and spatial analysis. It is an applied discipline – a person does not simply “do GIS” but applies it to a variety of professional disciplines.

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GeoTech Program

The GeoTech Skills Certificate prepares students to apply GIS with a solid theoretical foundation. A diverse range of GeoTech Skills skills are covered including data capture, spatial & statistical analysis, modeling, and cartography.

The GeoTech courses take a practical, hands-on approach. Students will not only learn how to use a specific software; they will apply GIS using a variety of projects and methodologies. With a combination of lab exercises, individual projects, and a community-based, collaborative long-term project, students will learn how to plan, design, and execute GIS projects.

Courses:

Introduction to the fundamentals of geospatial technology including Geographic Information Systems (GIS) science and its applications to spatial data management. Participants will learn how to identify and acquire GIS data, assess vector and raster systems, apply scale, resolution, map projections, coordinate systems, use georeferencing, spatial analysis, modeling and Global Positioning Systems (GPS). This course is designed to compliment other disciplines or as an entry level course into a geospatial program. Total of 36 hours lecture and 54 hours of laboratory.Transfer Credit: CSU; UC credit under review. C-ID: GEOG 155

Geog 12- Spatial Analysis

Reinforce skills about the theory and application of GIS science. Develop working knowledge and skills necessary to conduct problem-solving and decision making using geospatial analysis techniques. Topics include discovering and applying the spatial relationships within and among spatial phenomena, buffering, overlay, map algebra, database management, and metadata standards. Total of 36 hours lecture and 54 hours laboratory.Transfer Credit: CSU; UC credit under review.

Roadmap

Job Market

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has categorized GIS related jobs as an emerging industry and one that should experience higher than average employment growth over the next 10 years. Geographers with GIS experience or knowledge have the strongest job outlook, especially with government, business, local municipalities, real estate developers, utilities, and environmental consulting. There will also be an increase in job opportunities requiring GIS skills and technologies in areas such as emergency assistance and other non-traditional areas. Oregon has the 2nd highest concentration of people employed in the geography field, with a mean annual wage of $61,420.

Below is a chart of the Projection Data for Surveyors, Cartographers, Photogrammetrists, and Survey & Mapping Technicians, Environmental Scientists, Urban/Regional Planners, and Geographers – all industries with a strong GIS focus. (The data below comes from Bureau of Labor Statistics.)